In the Face of Death
by StarKatt427
Summary: Peter and Edmund Pevensie died by the same rule they lived by in Narnia: defend each other until the end.


**Disclaimer:************ I do not own anything in the world of Narnia****; everything belongs**************** to C. S. Lewis.**  


**A/N: I've finally written something short, which is a surprise for me; usually, all of my works seem endless. But this idea popped into my head after rereading The Last Battle, and from the beginning, I knew it would be simple and brief, just how I imagine the Pevensie brothers left this world and entered Aslan's. I hope I managed to convey the emotion that I wanted to, and r****eviews are welcome; I would love to know how I did with a short story. Does it seem complete enough? Let me know, and I hope you like.  
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**StarkKatt427**

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_"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."_

_Revelation 21:4_

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The Pevensie brothers cannot remember the railway accident that has brought them here, to the real Narnia, the Narnia inside Narnia inside Narnia, Aslan's Country; they cannot feel pain or fear or sorrow or exhaustion anymore, it is too perfect a place. Here, they are young, though they were by no means old in the Shadowlands, Peter having been an adult of only twenty-two and Edmund a young man barely nineteen. Now, however, they have left behind all earthly ailments and unnecessary emotions; Edmund can assess to that, for he had a bruised knee that hurt something awful back in England, and now he feels more alive than he ever did there. They can remember everything before the accident, before the awful screeching stole into their last moment on Earth, but after that—nothing, like there is just a single half second of blackness, of themselves not being in any world, and then they awoke in this new place. In some ways, it does not even matter to them how they arrived here: they are too happy to just _be _here, side by side, together with the Great Lion.

They can both remember standing on the platform in workmen's clothes, waiting for the train that would bring them the Professor and Lady Polly, Eustace and Jill, and best of all, Lucy, whom both hated to be away from for very long. They can remember the rings, one in Peter's pocket and the other in Edmund's, and how when they dug them out of the ground and lifted them in gloved hands, the bands had shown with an odd light, like the greens and yellows of Narnian fireflies. Edmund can remember telling Peter that their parents were probably on the same train as their friends and youngest sister, and the older boy nodding at how it made sense, since their mother and father were going to visit a friend and take care of some business in Bristol.

Peter can remember Edmund voicing a statement that had made him laugh, though he can no longer recall what it was, and then he had lifted the workman's cap Edmund wore off his head, grinning down at his brother as they bantered lightly, trying not to worry too much about what state Narnia must be in for a spirit—a _human_—to visit their world. Peter can remember Edmund scowling at him, unable to quite hide the beginnings of a smirk, and he remembers rolling his eyes at something his brother said before placing the cap back upon his head lopsidedly, the younger boy muttering under his breath as he pushed the article of clothing back into place.

Edmund can remember playfully bumping Peter's shoulder, smirking when his brother looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, and he remembers shrugging a shoulder lightly, then hissing out a breath at the pain that had flared in his knee when he forgot to balance his weight on his good leg. Edmund remembers Peter grabbing hold of his arm to steady him out and him murmuring his thanks, then the older boy asking if he was alright and him replying that he was _perfectly fine_, unable to find it within himself to feel frustrated with his worrisome big brother and instead speaking with fond exasperation and a little amusement, though he appreciated the concern.

Peter can remember Edmund calling out that he could see the train coming, and then he was able to as well, though he can remember thinking something wasn't quite right; as the train hit the bend, it was going far too fast, faster than was safe, and he had furrowed his eyebrows as it approached.

After this, they can only remembering a shrieking crash, the feel of something colliding with them but being unhurt, and then—they woke up, lying in sweet summer grass, side by side.

And yet, if they could remember how the final moment of their lives played out, it would be something like this:

Peter would remember the roar of brakes screeching as the train tore through the railway station, the sound of people screaming. He would remember thinking that they were too near the edge of the platform, but that there was no time to move away, and he would remember instinctively grabbing hold of Edmund's shoulder. Edmund would remember sliding in closer to Peter, watching as the train suddenly came in on them and unable to move out of the way, too stunned at what he was seeing. Peter would remember realizing that the train was going to go off the tracks, was actually going to hit them, and that Edmund would be the first one it collided with, and then he would remember grabbing his brother's arm tightly, desperately, but then, so would Edmund; he would recall latching onto Peter with the same fierce protectiveness, intent on shielding him from the worst of the blast, but Peter, quicker and broader, would be standing in front of him in less than a second. Still, it was not enough to stop the impact.

There would not be much else to remember, not much else but the pain of metal and steel colliding with their flesh and blood bodies and tearing into them, crushing them, though they were not even aware of it; by that time, the magic had already done its job, Aslan had already called them home, and Peter and Edmund were in the Lion's country. But if they did remember, if they had still been aware of what was happening, they would be proud to know that they left their mortal lives defending one another, just as they knew it would end, the only way they would let it, guarding each other as they have done since many years ago. Because while Peter was standing in front of Edmund with his back to the oncoming train, it was Edmund who quickly wrapped his arms around the elder boy, squeezing him tightly for the last time in their human lives, and turning just so that they faced death together.


End file.
